New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-03


The work of constructing the Titana and Sham
rock had hardly been begun when the actual dlmen-
sons of the Thistle became known, and then, Of
course all hore of either being chosen to defend The
cup had T. be abaldored on account Of their SIZE
his however did not affect the rivalry between
the two beats and even before the decks were laid
there was talk OF a match race. 1t was not long
befor, the truth OF the saying where there's
smoke there's always fire" was emphasized by the
an nouncement that Messrs. Iselin and Maxwell had
arranged for an race between their sloors for
500 Guy. BY the terms OF the agreement the
race IS TO be sailed on July tit the wind on that
day is moving at the rate of six miles an hour or
tbs op-tvonty miles to windward or lceward OF
Sandy Hook or Scotland lghtships, according to the
direction of the wind and the condition Of the sea,
and without time allowance restrictions as 10
sails
| 4 general knowledge of the contemplated race
naturally attracted attention to the yachts and their
performances were watched with unusual interest.
Old deep-sea sailors, whose choice is largely In
iiuoned by superstition, even before they had seen
the bouts sail decided that the Shamrock would
be the wnncr-not because they could point out
INV structural ad santage which would tend to
maize her faster, but because her launching had
been unattended by accident Of any Sort while the
the ways and a sailor cut his hand when the wine
bottle was broken over her nose. To give weight
to the choice of the "shellbaclxs' Mr.. Maxwells
boat displayed great speed on her trial trip while
the Ttania was easily beaten in her first sail by
| the little Cinderella To say that Mr.. Iselin was
chagrined at this apparent failure does not half ex'
press the state Of his feelings but it was readily
| explained when an examination Of the Iitanla's
| bottom showed that she had been carrying around
| athwart her keel q large piece Of timber from the
cradle upon which she was built Relieved OF this,
she went through the water at a splendid rate and
beat the Cinderella "hands down.
| The first meeting between the Shamrock and
Iitania was on Decoration Day. The former went
out to participate in the open sail o the Atlantic
Yacht Club from the anchorage OF Bay Ridge to
and around Southwest Spit buoy and return There
was a light southerly wind, and Mr.. Maxwells boat
having turned the buoy was leading the feet and
fully mile ahead Of the big Atlantic, when sho
encountered the Ttania, which had been towed
down from w-Roohelo and was standing near
buoy No. is, at tho entrance to the Narrows, with
all sail set, ready for brush. For moment or
two the rivals were side by side but the Shamrock
quickly shook of the City Island boat and forged
rapidly ahead. This made 1t look rather blue for
the 1itanla, and precipitated report that she
was great failure.
In tho Atlantic Yacht Club regatta on June z,
when the two boats made their first long race, the
Shamrock again showed apparent superiority over
tho BurgeA boat. In light but steady south
castcrly breeze she led her chief competitor over
the course from Bay Ridge to buoy No. 10, to buoy
No. 1-2, to the Sandy Hook Lghtship and return,
and beat her twenty minutes and one second In
tho ,un in, largely before tho wind, the Shamrock
covered the distance between the lightshn and
buoy No16 in ten seconds less than the Priscilla,
forty,seyen keconos less than the Atlantic, two
minutes ard eight seconds less than the Titania,
and four minutes and fortythroe seconds less than
the Galatca Altogether sho acquitted herself won-
derfully.
Again, in the New York Yacht Club regatta on
the following Thursday the "Irish flyer as she
began to be called, carried of tho honors in her
class and even the old time Graoic beat the Ttania
It WIS, however, what the Enelishmen eau .